New owner for Albury Tavern

ROSA STUDHOLME

Last updated 05:00 22/12/2012

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The Albury Tavern will have new owners next month.

The historic pub has been bought by Christchurch man James Rennie, who says he is looking forward to reopening the pub. The tavern was on the market for eight months before the sale was confirmed this week.

Mr Rennie, formerly the owner of a rental car business, said owning a pub was something he had always wanted to do.

There were a few plans for the pub floating about, he said.

"There's a few ideas, but we'll sort of wait until then [when we take over] and see what happens," he said.

‘We certainly want to make a few changes as we go along but we just need to take it slowly," Mr Rennie said.

"I didn't want to see it close down really."

He said he enjoyed the historic aspect of the building.

Current owner Pascal Brown, who is Auckland-based, said he was sad to sell the tavern after owning it for eight years, but felt it would be better run by on-site owners.

"[It is] better to have an owner-occupied [pub] in a small place. They'll work harder and it's their home and their business as well," he said.

"Albury will have its pub back again."

The offer was accepted and the parties were "just finalising a few things".

Harcourts sales consultant Roger Harding said he had been fielding calls every week since the pub went on the market.